唐王勃撰医话序一卷。即医话之鼻祖也。宋张杲着医说十卷。明俞弁着续医说十卷。即医话之导师也。迨前清
作者如林。史典着愿体医话。黄凯钧着友渔斋医话。王士雄编柳洲医话着潜斋医话。毛祥麟着对山医话。陆以
着冷庐医话。计楠着客尘医话。柳宝诒着惜余医话。丁福保着医话丛存。先祖秀山公纂古医格言。皆本各个
人之阅历。或话所闻。或话所见。或话所心得。或转述师友之见闻。或指摘医家之利弊。或宪章先圣之名言。虽各
话当年陈迹。而言多精凿。较之浏览医书。尤有趣味。且足长见识而益智能。昔老名医赵晴初先生。得医中三昧。
年七十余。犹着书不倦。亲自手录。作蝇头行楷。在中年时。最喜访道。申江与凌嘉六先年交相善。江苏与马培之
先生谊尤深。曾为之跋纪恩录。晚年在绍。与余为亡年交。颇莫逆。与之谈医。知无不言。言无不尽。夜虽深。无倦意。
尝谓余曰。“医非博不能通。非通不能精。非精不能专。必精而专。始能由博而约。吾绍前辈金士哦陈念义以景
岳全书为枕中秘。任HT 波案头只一册临证指南。俞根初案上只一册仲景伤寒论。可见心得处不在多也。然无
心得者。不得以此借口。欲求心得。正非多读古今医书不可。盖不博。亦断不能约也。”其言如此。可谓医林佳话
矣。与余会诊时。亦不鲜见。其临诊辨证。反复推详。选药制方。心思周到。往往一味佐药。亦费几许时刻思想而得。
一得即全方灵透。历验如神。尝着奇偶方选。约千余方。方解亦甚简明。医案一册。断证确切。方案明通。皆足为后
学师范。惜无刊本。即存存斋医话稿五集。只有初二两集。由孙瀛阶陈昼卿两先生为之序。姚静庵先生代为刊
行。不久其版散失。迄于今各书肆已无从购觅。本地如此。他省可知。同社友裘君吉生恐其书湮没不传。遍觅原
版。虽幸而购到。已缺多页。亟亟然为之重刻付印。兹于其将出板焉。嘱余略叙其巅末于简端。斯亦裘君表彰前
哲之苦心也夫。
中华民国四年十一月望日何廉臣印岩识于蠡城卧龙山麓之宣化坊
唐代王勃撰写了《医话序》一卷，这可以说是医话这一文体的鼻祖。宋代张杲著有《医说》十卷，明代俞弁著有《续医说》十卷，这两部书堪称医话的导师（即开创者或典范）。到了前清时期，作者如林，史典撰写了《愿体医话》，黄凯钧撰写了《友渔斋医话》，王士雄编纂了《柳洲医话》并著有《潜斋医话》，毛祥麟撰写了《对山医话》，陆以撰著了《冷庐医话》，计楠撰写了《客尘医话》，柳宝诒撰写了《惜余医话》，丁福保撰写了《医话丛存》，我的先祖秀山公编纂了《古医格言》。这些著作都是基于个人的阅历，有的是讲述所听闻的，有的是讲述所见到的，有的是讲述自己心得的，有的是转述师友的见闻，有的是指摘医家的利弊，有的是效法先圣的名言。虽然各自讲述的是当年的陈迹，但言论大多精当确凿，比起浏览一般的医书，更有趣味，而且足以增长见识、增进智慧。
从前老名医赵晴初先生，深得医学三昧（指医学的精微奥妙之处），年过七十多岁，仍然不知疲倦地著书立说，亲自手抄，字体为蝇头小楷的行书和楷书。他在中年时，最喜欢寻访道义（此处指探求医学真理或高深医术）。他与上海的凌嘉六先生早年交情深厚，与江苏的马培之先生情谊尤为深切，曾为马先生的《纪恩录》作跋。晚年他在绍兴居住，与我结为忘年之交，关系非常融洽亲密。与他谈论医学，他知无不言，言无不尽，即使深夜交谈也毫无倦意。他曾对我说：“医学不广博就不能通晓，不通晓就不能精深，不精深就不能专精。必须达到精深且专精，才能由广博而归于简约。我们绍兴的前辈金士哦和陈念义，将《景岳全书》视为枕中秘宝（极其珍贵的秘籍）；任HT（注：原文疑为人名，暂保留）波案头只有一本《临证指南》；俞根初案上只有一本《仲景伤寒论》。由此可见，心得之处不在于书籍的多寡。然而没有心得的人，不能以此作为借口。想要获得心得，正非多读古今医书不可。因为如果不广博，也绝对无法达到简约的境界。”他的话就是这样，真可谓医林中的佳话啊。
在我与他共同会诊时，这种情况也不少见。他临诊辨证，反复推敲详析，选药制方，心思周到细致，往往一味辅助药物，也要花费许多时间思考才能得到。一旦有所得，整个方子就灵动透彻，历经验证灵验如神。他曾编著《奇偶方选》，收录约一千多个方剂，方解也非常简明。还有一册医案，断证确切，方案明理通达，都足以成为后学的师范。可惜没有刊印版本，即使是《存存斋医话稿》五集，也只有初、二两集，由孙瀛阶、陈昼卿两位先生作序，姚静庵先生代为刊行。不久他的版片散失，直到今天，各书店已无从购觅。本地尚且如此，其他省份可想而知。同社友人裘吉生君担心他的书湮没失传，遍寻原版，虽然幸运地买到了，但已缺失很多页，急忙为之重新刻印出版。现在在他即将付梓之际，嘱咐我简要叙述其始末于书前，这也是裘君表彰前辈哲人的苦心所在啊。
中华民国四年十一月十五日，何廉臣印岩识于蠡城卧龙山麓之宣化坊
Wang Bo of the Tang Dynasty compiled one volume of "Preface to Medical Conversations" (Yihua Xu), which can be regarded as the originator of the genre of medical conversations. Zhang Gao of the Song Dynasty authored ten volumes of "Medical Discourses" (Yishuo), and Yu Bian of the Ming Dynasty authored ten volumes of "Continued Medical Discourses" (Xu Yishuo); these two works serve as the mentors (i.e., pioneers or models) for this genre. By the late Qing Dynasty, authors were numerous. Shi Dian wrote "Yuanti Medical Conversations" (Yuan Ti Yihua), Huang Kaijun wrote "Youyu Zhai Medical Conversations" (You Yu Zhai Yihua), Wang Shixiong edited "Liuzhou Medical Conversations" (Liuzhou Yihua) and authored "Qianzhai Medical Conversations" (Qian Zhai Yihua), Mao Xianglin wrote "Duishan Medical Conversations" (Dui Shan Yihua), Lu Yi authored "Lenglu Medical Conversations" (Leng Lu Yihua), Ji Nan wrote "Kechen Medical Conversations" (Ke Chen Yihua), Liu Baoyi wrote "Xiyu Medical Conversations" (Xi Yu Yihua), Ding Fubao wrote "Collected Medical Conversations" (Yihua Congcun), and my ancestor, Mr. Xiushan, compiled "Ancient Medical Maxims" (Gu Yi Ge Yan). All these works are based on personal experience; some recount what was heard, some what was seen, some personal insights, some the experiences of teachers and friends, some pointing out the pros and cons of practitioners, and some emulating the famous sayings of ancient sages. Although each recounts past events, their remarks are often precise and substantial. Compared to browsing general medical books, they are more interesting and sufficient to broaden knowledge and enhance wisdom.
The former renowned physician, Mr. Zhao Qingchu, deeply understood the subtleties of medicine (Sanmei, referring to the profound mysteries of a craft). In his seventies, he still wrote tirelessly, copying manuscripts by hand in small regular script (Xingkai). In his middle age, he loved seeking Dao (here referring to exploring medical truths or advanced skills). He had a deep friendship with Mr. Ling Jialiú in Shanghai from an early age and a particularly close bond with Mr. Ma Peizhi in Jiangsu, for whom he wrote a postscript to "Ji En Lu". In his later years, residing in Shaoxing, he formed a friendship across generations with me, and we were very close. When discussing medicine with him, he spoke without reservation, leaving nothing unsaid, showing no fatigue even in the deep night. He once said to me: "Medicine cannot be mastered without broad learning; it cannot be refined without mastery; it cannot be specialized without refinement. Only when one is both refined and specialized can one return from breadth to simplicity. Our predecessors in Shaoxing, Jin Shio and Chen Nianyi, treasured 'Complete Works of Jingyue' (Jingyue Quanshu) as a secret treasure kept under the pillow; Ren HT [Note: Original text likely contains a typo for a name] had only one copy of 'Guide to Clinical Practice' (Linzheng Zhinan) on his desk; Yu Genchu had only one copy of 'Shanghan Lun by Zhang Zhongjing' (Zhongjing Shanghan Lun) on his desk. This shows that insight does not depend on the quantity of books. However, those without genuine insight cannot use this as an excuse. To gain insight, one must indeed read many ancient and modern medical books. For without breadth, one certainly cannot achieve simplicity." Such were his words, truly a fine tale in the medical world.
I often witnessed this when consulting with him. In clinical diagnosis and syndrome differentiation, he would repeatedly analyze and detail; in selecting herbs and formulating prescriptions, his thoughts were thorough. Often, for just one adjuvant herb, he would spend considerable time pondering before arriving at a decision. Once he found the right approach, the entire prescription became灵动 (agile and penetrating), proving effective as if by divine intervention. He once compiled "Selection of Odd and Even Formulas" (Qi Ou Fang Xuan), containing about a thousand formulas, with explanations that were very concise. He also left behind a volume of medical cases where diagnoses were accurate and treatment plans were clear and logical, serving as models for future students. Unfortunately, no printed edition exists. Even the five volumes of "Cuncun Zhai Medical Conversations Draft" (Cuncun Zhai Yihua Gao) only have the first two volumes, prefaced by Mr. Sun Yingjie and Mr. Chen Zhouqing, and published by Mr. Yao Jing'an. Soon after, the printing blocks were lost. To this day, they cannot be found in any bookstore. If this is the case locally, it is understandable elsewhere. Mr. Qiu Jisheng, a fellow society member, fearing the book would be lost forever, searched extensively for the original blocks. Although he luckily acquired them, many pages were missing. He hurriedly arranged for a new woodblock printing. Now, as it is about to be published, he asked me to briefly narrate its history at the beginning. This reflects Mr. Qiu's heartfelt intention to honor the preceding scholars.
On the 15th day of the 11th month, 4th Year of the Republic of China, He Lianchen (Ziyin) recorded at Xuanhua Fang, foot of Wolong Mountain, Licity.